Right - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

RIGHT

rit (yashar, mishpaT; dikaios, euthus):

Many Hebrew words are translated "right," with different shades of meaning. Of these the two noted are the most important: yashar, with the sense of being straight, direct, as "right in the sight" of Yahweh (Exodus 15:26; Deuteronomy 12:25, etc.), in one's own eyes (Judges 17:6), "right words" (Job 6:25 the King James Version, yosher), "right paths" (Proverbs 4:11 the King James Version); and mishpaT "judgment" "cause" etc., a forensic term, as "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Genesis 18:25). In Job 34:17, the Revised Version (British and American) has "justice" (34:6, "right"), etc. The word tsedheq, tsedhaqah, ordinarily translated "righteousness," are in a few cases rendered "right" (2 Samuel 19:28; Nehemiah 2:20; Psalms 9:4; 17:1; 119:75; Ezekiel 18:5, etc.). In the New Testament the chief word is dikaios, primarily "even," "equal" (Matthew 20:4; Luke 12:57, etc.); more generally the word is rendered "just" and "righteous." Euthus, used by Septuagint for yashar (1 Samuel 12:23; Hosea 14:9), occurs a few times (Acts 8:21; 13:10; 2 Peter 2:15); so orthos, "straight," "upright" (Luke 10:28).

"Right-hand" or "side" represents Hebrew yamin and kindred forms (Genesis 48:13,14,17; Exodus 15:6, etc.); the Greek, in this sense, is dexios (Matthew 6:3; 20:21, etc.).

Revised Version, among other changes, has "right" for the King James Version "judgment" in Job 27:2; 34:5, and for "right" in the King James Version substitutes "straight" in Ezra 8:21, "skillful" in Ecclesiastes 4:4, margin "successful," etc. In John 1:12 the Revised Version (British and American) reads, "the right to become children of God" for the King James Version "the power" (exousia); in Matthew 20:7,15 "right" is omitted, with the larger part of the verse. In 2 Timothy 2:15 "rightly dividing" (orthotomeo) is changed to "handling aright" with margin "holding a straight course in the word of truth. Or, rightly dividing the word of truth."

W. L. Walker

Bibliography Information
Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'RIGHT'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". 1915.